Charles Ellicott Commentary Malachi 3:15

"And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape." — Malachi 3:15 (ASV)

"And now" means and so, consequently. In this verse, the prophet gives the words of the murmurers. (See Note on Malachi 3:13.) The statements of Malachi 3:13 show that they were of a very different character from such faithful servants of Jehovah as were at times sorely tempted against their will to waver in their faith. We may observe here the seeds of skeptical Sadduceeism, as in Malachi 3:14 of hypocritical Pharisaism. (Compare to Psalms 37, Psalms 73, and the Books of Job and Ecclesiastes.)

Proud ... those who work wickedness — i.e., the heathen, who do not profess to serve Jehovah. (Compare to Isaiah 13:11.)

Proud is a common Biblical expression for presumptuous sinners; the same word is also used for presumptuous sins (Psalms 19:13).

Tempt. —The same word is used which in Malachi 3:10 is translated “prove.” The difference in the two cases consists in the different nature of the actions. In Malachi 3:10 the Jews are exhorted to obey the Law faithfully, and prove whether God would not (i.e., experience that God certainly would) perform His part in the covenant. In Malachi 3:15 the heathen, by their pride and wickedness, tempt God to judgment.